Band-cutter and feeder for threshing-machines.



No. 65I,066. Patented lune 5, |900.

' G. F. DONNER. l

.BAND CUTTER AND FEEDER FDR THRESHING MACHINES.

v (Application led Feb. 14, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

"Imvm.. m -n l' I Y Il? No. 65|,066. Patented lune 5, |900.

G. F. DONNER.

BAND CUTTER AND FEEDER FDR THRESHING MACHINES.

(Application filed Feb. 14, 1899.) (No Mndel.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

WITNESSES. IJV VEJVOR.

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GEORGE F. CONNER, OF PORT I-IURON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE f IT STAES l TO THE PORT HURON ENGINE AND THRESHER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BAND-CUTTER AND FEEDER FOR THRESHING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,066, dated June 5, 1900.

Application filed February 14, 1899. Serial No. 705,472. (No model.)

To otZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. CONNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Port Huron,'in the county of St. Clair and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Band-Cutters and Feeders for Threshing-Machines, of which the following is a specification. y

My invention relates to improvements in Io band-cutters and feeders for threshing-machines in which the band holding together a sheaf of the grain to be threshed is cut and the bundle fed into the threshing-machine.

The objects of my invention are, first, to

provide a band-cutter and feeder in whieh each bundle is fed separately and at a speed in accordance with itsv size; second, a bandcutter and feeder in which the speed at which the bundle is fed'shall'be self-regulating;

zo third, a band-cutter and feeder by which two bundles of different size can be fed'independently at the same time and the speed of the feed automatically regulated by the respective size of and bulk of the two bundles; fourth, a band-cutterand feeder which shall cut the bands and feed the top of each bundle first and shall loosen and spread and elongate the bundle before feeding same; fifth, a bandcutter and feeder divided into two halves 5o either of which operates independently, and,

sixth,a band-cutter and feeder which shall automatically regulate the amount of grain fed to the threshing-machine and the speed at which it is taken into the thresher. I attain 3 5 these objects by the mechanism andconstruction illustrated in the drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the bandcutter attached to a threshingmachine as shown, and the point of view is from the right 4o side. While same is attached to a threshingmachine, the latter is merely indicated in outline, as my invention can be attached in any suitable manner to any threshing-machine. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the front of the band-cutter and feeder.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the two views.

, In the drawings I have shown the band-eutter and feeder, the latter being indicated in outline, as it constitutes no part of my invention.

The band-cutter and feeder is shown as attached to a threshing-machine the cylinder of which is driven by the pulley F, (shown in diagram, and which is given to show the position of the band-cutter and feeder with reference to the threshing-machine.) My device is provided with a table for earlrying the sheaves of grain into the threshingmachine, and a side of same, A, is shown cut 6o away, so that the raddles and mechanism for carrying the bundles may be seen. The table B bears upon its surface the raddles or carriers G G. The board E divides the feeder into two parts. 65

The band-cutterand feeder is driven by the pulley-wheel D, which is suitably belted to a pulley conveniently placed upon the threshing machine. In practice it is generally driven by a belt running from the pulleyD 7o to a pulley placed upon the shaft of the eylinder of the threshing-machine. Thepulley D drives the shaft e. On the shaft e are placed sprocket Wheels which carry the sprocket-chains o o o' o', to which chains are 75 attached the slats (Z d and d d,'upon which are seen the triangular band-cutting knives m m and m m. l

The raddles upon the band-cutters C and C are continually driven by the revolutions of the shaft e and run over the sprockets at uniform speed in the direction shown by the arrows.

The belt g transfers power from the pulley Z to the pulley vl, which in turn meshes with and drives the gear-wheel h, as shown in the drawings. The carriers or raddles G G' are driven by sprocket -wheels upon a shaft, which carries and which is driven by the gearwheel h, and, as is seen, are driven in the direction indicated by the arrows at a much lower rate of speed than the raddles C C upon the band-cutters above. The pulley-wheel f is an idler-wheel running loosely upon a stud, which is supported from the frame ofthe band 95 cutter H by a link hinged at p and a eompression-spring attached at q. The office of the spring is to force the idler f against the belt gand cause the pulley t' to be set in motion. The tension of the spring is suitably regulated by a suitable screw at q.

In the drawings the band-cutter H, nearest the point of view, is shown to be elevated for the purpose of bringing into View its mechanism and illustrating its action and operation. The band-cutter I-I is resting in its normal position when ready to receive a bundle of grain to be fed into the threshing-machine. The band cutter H', farther from point of view, is driven and operated precisely like the cutter H; but the pulleys and belt are not shown. In every respect it is a duplicate of the band-cutter H.

In Fig. 2 is shown a perspective view of the band-cutter and feeder from the front, showing the carriers G G, the band-cutters II and II, carrying the band-cutting raddles C C', upon the slats CZ d cl' cl of which are the bandcutting knives m m and m/ m.

Taking Fig. l, the operation of the mechanism is as follows: In describing the operation I will take the band-cutter H and the carrier G, their action being the same as H and G. The shaft eactuates the pulley Z, carrying the friction-belt g, which drives the pulley i, in turn driving the gear-wheel h and operating the carrier G. The friction-belt g engages the pulleys 't' and Z loosely. The idler f, attached to the band-cutter H, as shown, presses against the belt g, tightening it enough to produce the necessary friction for driving the pulley z'or allowing the same to be released, as hereinafter described. The bundles are fed lengthwise upon the carrier G, which brings them under the cutters or knives upon the bandcutting raddles carried by H. rIhe knives m m, rapidly moving in the direction indicated by the arrow, eut the bands and also draw the top of the bundle into the threshing-machine. Upon the slats of the carrier G (indicated at c c) are seen the teeth 7c k, of wire, and inclined backward from the direction of motion. The office of these teeth is to engage the bottom of each bundle and hold it. As is readily seen from the drawings, lthe speed of the raddle C is much greater than the speed of the carrier G. The purpose and effect of the higher speed of the band-cutting raddle C is to elongate each bundle and feed the top first. The top of the bundle is stripped off by the knives and raddle, while the bottom part, held by the teeth 7i: 7a, is retarded by the slower motion of the carrierG. The speed at which the raddle C is driven, and consequently the rapidity at which bundles are fed t0 the threshing-machine, is regulated by the adjustment of the spring q, which forces the idlerfagainst the belt g. Increasing the compression of the spring increases the rapidity of feed. The normal position is shown by the cutter H. When a large bundle is fed, the band-cutter H is elevated, the same being hung upon the shaft e. It will be raised not as high as the position of II in the drawings, but will travel upward by the same are. The idler fwill he drawn away from the belt g. This will cause the pulley t' to revolve slower or stop, as the belt g will slip upon the pulleyt'. The speed of the carrier G will be reduced and the feeding of the bundle thereupon be retarded; but the raddle C travels at constant speed, and the knives m m and slats d d will tear off the top of the bundle and feed same to the threshing-machine. The band-cutter H will be lou ered gradually by the decreasing size of the bundle upon which it rests, and the idler will again press strongly against the belt g, and the pulley t' will again revolve, so actuating the gear-wheel hand communicating motion to the carrier G.

From the drawings it will be seen that the band-cutters H and II' are independent as to their vertical motion. Such vertical motion is produced by the varyin g size of the bundles fed by the carrier G or G. So the speeds of the carriers G and G may be independently varied, such variations being caused and controlled by the vertical motion of the bandcutters H and H. It will be seen thatA large bundles will be fed more slowly than small bundles, and as the two band-cutters and carriers are independent a large bundle may be fed upon carrier G, while a small one is taken by carrier G; but I do not limit my invention to a double construction, but claim the right to use a single carrier and a single band-cutter, wider or narrower, instead of a double one, as all the elements of novelty are contained in either H and Gor II and G.

In practice I construct the feeder and bandcutter either single or double.

I do not claim, broadly, the use of cutters and carriers actuated by the mechanism of the threshingmachine for the purpose of feeding bundles into the same and cutting the bands; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is-e l. The combination of a carrier, an operating-shaft therefor, a pulley for operating said shaft, a band-cuttenand feeder mounted to move toward and from said carrier, a driveshaft therefor, a drive-pulley therefor, a belt loose on said two pulleys, and an idler-pulley adapted to be pressed against said belt by said band-cutter and feeder, whereby the movement of said carrier is controlled by the size ofthe bundle between the carrier and bandcutter and feeder, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a carrier, an operating-shaft therefor, a pulley geared to said shaft, a band-cutter and feeder, a drive-shaft therefor on which ,said band-cutter and feeder is adapted to swing toward and from said carrier, a pulley on said drive-shaft, a belt loose on said two pulleys, an idler-pulley carried by said band-cutter and feeder and adapted to be thereby pressed against said belt whereby the movement of said carrier is controlled by the size of the bundle between the carrier and the band-cutter and feeder, substantially as described.

IOC

IIO

.3. The combination with a feed-table, of a shaft above the same, a band-cutter and feeder mounted to swing about said shaft and be driven thereby, a driving-belt Working on a pulley on said shaft, a swinging link carried by said band-cutter and feeder, an idler-pulley on said link, and a spring for pressing said idler against said belt, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a feed-table, oomprising a traveling raddle and means for operating the same, of a band-cutter and feeder comprising a frame and a traveling raddle carried thereby having cutting-knives, a shaft `above the feed-raddle on which said frame is hinged and by which said raddle is driven, drive connections between said shaft and said raddle-operating means including a belt, an idler-pulley movably mounted on said frame, and means for forcing said idler-pulley against said belt,- substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE F. CONNER.

Witnesses:

H. B. HOYT, C. A. HARRINGTON. 

